Monday

One Hundred Names

by Cecelia Ahern

I love Ahern's books. There's something special about them. Erin and I decided that it has to do with the fact that there is always a little romance and a little something magical. I really liked some of Ahern's previous novels, like Where Rainbows End, PS,I Love You, and The Time of My Life.

"Should she know what the names meant? Had she and Constance had a conversation about it before? Was there a hidden message?"

Kitty Logan is a journalist for a well-respected magazine, created and edited by her friend and mentor Constance Dubois. She is a well-respected journalist, too, until she wrongly exposes a man and ruins her career. At the same time, her long-time friend Constance dies of cancer and leaves her with the research for her last story: a list of 100 names.

Kitty has the difficult job of meeting with, and interviewing, one hundred strangers on a list. She knows nothing else about the people except for their names. At first, Kitty tries to figure out the theme of the list, asking herself "What do all of these people have in common?". None of them know why they are on the list, and what they did to deserve a spot on it. By meeting all of the people on the list, Kitty begins to remember why she became a journalist in the first place: to hear peoples' stories.

Ahern draws upon ideas from P.S., I love you, in this story; it seems like Constance is guiding Kitty after she dies, just like Gerry does for Holly. I liked how Ahern was able to convey emotion in this novel; I really felt for Kitty, as well as the other characters in the story.

I definitely recommend this read, if you like Ahern. It was written in her clever, funny, and highly effective style of writing that will have you laughing, crying, and coming back for more.